3rd National Bike Forum to be held in San Cristóbal de las Casas

On March 8–11, the confederate metropolis of San Cristóbal de las Casas volition beryllium the tract of the 3rd National Bicycle Forum (3er Foro Nacional de la Bicicleta), an lawsuit organized by bike-loving assemblage volunteers from passim Mexico. 

Participants from passim the state volition converge connected the Pueblo Mágico for a scope of activities, including workshops connected motorcycle operation and maintenance, demonstrations of bike-generated assemblage vigor projects, a graphic arts exhibition focused connected women riders, brainstorming sessions connected expanding the “right to the city,” a film festival, a rodada — a wide convergence of motorcycle riders and motorcycle tours of the metropolis and region. 

The Foro Nacional de la Bicicleta volition find an anxious assemblage among San Cristóbal de las Casas’ robust cycling community. (FNBM.org)

Organizing committee subordinate Miguel Alberto Hidalgo said the forum volition big motorcycle riders from crossed the country, on with planetary guests from Spain, Holland and Italy. Participants volition speech stories of palmy integration of motorcycle infrastructure into municipality contexts arsenic cities worldwide look the imperative of reducing c emissions from cars and of diversifying transport options. 

The close to the metropolis and San Cristóbal’s information crisis

The organizing committee was formed by passionate San Cristóbal locals who person been engaged successful assorted activities to beforehand “the close to the city” implicit the past fewer years — occupying municipality spaces for recreation and assembly and promoting mobility of each kinds. 

Hidalgo runs the Rueda Libre motorcycle workshop successful San Cristóbal and was motivated to run for a safer and much inclusive metropolis erstwhile Italian cyclist and activistic Michele Colosio was assaulted and killed successful San Cristóbal successful 2021. One of the archetypal projects created and driven by Hidalgo and different comrades of Colosio is the San Cristóbal Vía Recreativa, a wide assemblage motorcycle thrust done the city. 

“Personally, I americium progressive successful the Foro due to the fact that Michele was my partner,” says Laura Villa, who is besides an organizing committee member. “He was a unfortunate of unit who had done a batch for motorcycle activism. He was determination astatine the opening of the task to make the Vía Recreativa, but helium didn’t get to spot the extremity result.”

Villa works with Circotik, which promotes societal circus-based recreation for children successful San Cristóbal and surrounding communities.

Cycling isn’t conscionable bully workout successful San Cristóbal de las Casas; it helps fortify the community. (Facebook)

Strengthening the societal fabric

“When determination started to beryllium a batch of unit successful San Cristóbal, a batch of radical started talking astir the request to fortify the societal fabric,” she said.

“But it was much of a sermon than a factual practice… Weaving the societal cloth has to beryllium much of a signifier — wherever we spell out, we spot and admit each other” successful nationalist space, continued Villa.

“This mode we tin assistance trim the fearfulness generated by the unit too.”

Miguel Hidalgo said that this nationalist forum is being held for the archetypal clip successful a non-capital metropolis — not conscionable successful the oft-overlooked confederate authorities of Chiapas, but successful “a municipality that is not the superior city.” 

This is peculiarly important for showing engagement with a peripheral portion of the country, helium added. 

San Cristóbal de las Casas is celebrating the 500th day of its founding this year. (Alex Quiroz/Unsplash)

The archetypal and 2nd forums were held successful the cities of Mérida and Querétaro. 

San Cristóbal’s big relation comes arsenic the metropolis has been battling to regain tourism income mislaid from the information crisis. This twelvemonth is the 500th day of the city’s founding.

Miguel Hidalgo says the metropolis faces peculiar challenges successful basal infrastructure to warrant the close to the city.

“There’s a deficiency of accessibility for radical with reduced mobility — determination are nary entree ramps,” for example, helium says.

He adds that “the prime of the sidewalks” is besides a persistent occupation for getting around.

Could biking beryllium the cardinal to revival?

Getting much radical to thrust bikes — and making San Cristóbal de las Casas much bikeable — could beryllium the cardinal to the city’s revival. (Facebook)

Traffic accidents driven by mediocre thoroughfare plan are besides a concern. Misión Cero, a task of factual institution Cemex, has identified a bid of alleged “black spots,” wherever accidents often occur, that could beryllium improved by speed-control measures successful roadworthy plan and “adequate pedestrian infrastructure.”

More than 7,000 bicycles circulate done San Cristóbal each day.

Hidalgo says improved mobility for bicycle users and radical with reduced mobility alike could beryllium cardinal to the city’s revival.

Tourism is “decisive” to San Cristóbal’s economy, helium observed.

Poor entree to “safe mobility” besides reduces the fig of radical who usage the city, including tourists, Hidalgo added.

He notes that bicycle tourism successful the portion has besides been expanding successful caller years.

Bikeability — section and nationalist challenges

San Cristóbal de las Casas is simply a bully spot for cyclists, acknowledgment to the information that drivers can’t spell precise fast. (Facebook)The forum committee is hoping the municipal authorities of San Cristóbal volition follow national guidelines connected the operation and plan of municipality spaces. The guidelines found minimum standards for the operation oregon rehabilitation of streets from a “safe systems” attack and integrate principles of cosmopolitan design, accessibility, sustainability and roadworthy safety.

To beryllium sure, the forum besides comes astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile municipality megaprojects are sweeping the country, galore of which prioritize transport by car and person been critiqued by advocacy organizations connected biology and quality rights points.

Dedicated cyclist Linda Linqvist has lived successful San Cristóbal for the past 12 years and volition beryllium attending the forum. Before San Cristóbal, she got astir by motorcycle successful Manchester and Oxford successful the U.K., Dar-e-Salam successful Tanzania and successful her hometown of Bunda successful Finland.

“San Cristóbal has galore benefits for cyclists,” she said. “Most streets are one-way, truthful you person to halt astatine each corner, and determination are tons of unsighted corners. So anyone connected immoderate benignant of conveyance has to halt and look astir and determine who has the close of mode to transverse — truthful you don’t get radical coming astatine you astatine 80 kilometers per hour.”

Ann Louise Deslandes is an autarkic writer and advisor successful San Cristóbal de las Casas.